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Overshoot Day

 This visual of how quickly we reach overshoot day each year is very compelling. While we seem to be doing worse overall, there were periods when we improved for a bit before sliding into decline again. I did not even know of such a concept before I stumbled upon this website

Earth Overshoot Day is computed by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year), by humanity’s Ecological Footprint (humanity’s demand for that year), and multiplying by 365, the number of days in a year.

For some reason, it made me think of wise words a woman I once knew used to say. In a relationship, in times of stress and anxiety one or both parties may say too much. It was her way of describing that extra jab, dash of  sarcasm, the extra belittling to drive the point home and so on that goes beyond what is justified by the situation no matter how bad.

That is saying too much. It was her opinion, once that has happened, it cannot be undone. It is as it the relationship has experienced it's overshoot day. From then on the two are on resources borrowed from future goodwill that is yet to exist and may never come to be. Some rebuild their reserves and manage not to overshoot in the future but many continue their permanent downward slide. Her point was - why risk overshoot in a relationship by saying those extra words.


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